TV ads are rarely funny or worth paying attention to. The annual NFL-season-capping Super Bowl, however, has always been an exception. Not only is it invariably one of the year’s biggest sporting events but the NFL playoff championship is regularly treated as a global platform for both culture and commerce. Throughout the years, the Super Bowl halftime show has been seen as a major event for some of the world’s biggest musicians, the film industry uses the event to debut some of the year’s biggest trailers, and behemoth brands like McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Reebok, Nike, and Volkswagen see it as a chance to premiere some of their biggest commercials. Although the Super Bowl is a time for the NFL, plenty of attention is taken up by the best Super Bowl ads of the event.
For 2022, there’s a lot to get across. Many of these Super Bowl ads got more attention online than the actual Super Bowl results themselves – which, for reference, saw the Los Angeles Rams defeat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 – mostly due to the various unexpected pop culture references that played heavily on nostalgia.
Not much could have beaten Uber Eats bringing in Wayne‘s World actors Mike Meyers and Dana Carvey last year, or Ashton Kutcher dueting with wife Mila Kunis in a cover of Shaggy’s ‘It Wasn’t Me’ for Cheetos. Although as good as the Super Bowl ads of 2021 were, this year had some absolute ripper celebrity cameos like Kanye West (or ‘Ye, as he is now known), Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen, Eli Manning and Peyton Manning, Serena Williams, Pete Davidson (or Skete Davisdon, if you follow Kanye on Instagram), as well as Scarlett Johannson.
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How Much Did Super Bowl 2022 Commercials Cost?
Even if you aren’t interested in watching through the best Super Bowl ads of the year, looking at just how much brands fork out for an average 30-second slot during the telecast is a fascinating comment on how much TV advertising still runs (or is at least perceived to run) the minds of consumers.
While NBC, which served as the home for Super Bowl 56, hasn’t released official prices for each Super Bowl ad spot, NBC Sports Group has stated that ad spots this year were selling for at least US$6.5 million (AU$9.1 million). That figure is for a 30-second ad. Historically, some brands could opt for shorter 15-second slots or pay extra for 45-second or event 60-second ads.
This is easily the most expensive the Super Bowl ad price has ever been, with the above representing an approximate 20% increase from the last time NBC hosted the Super Bowl, in 2018. When CBS hosted the Super Bowl in 2021, the ad price saw bids as high as US$5.6 million (AU$7.8 million).
A commercial during the very first Super Bowl, in 1967, would typically have cost a brand around US$37,000 (AU$52,00). Live sports most definitely still runs the world when it comes to TV advertising.
Nowadays, there would typically be around 80 to 90 Super Bowl commercials run across the entire broadcast. Do the math, along with the fact that musicians performing at the Super Bowl halftime show don’t actually get paid for their work. That’s a lot of bank for NBC right there.
The Best Super Bowl Ads Of 2022
Can I Get Uhhhhhhhhhhhh
No, this isn’t the title of some poorly made bedroom-DJ blend of Jay-Z’s “Can I Get A…” and Master P’s “Make ‘Em Say Uhh.” It’s the name of the latest golden arches grab at Super Bowl ad dominance. McDonald’s recruited a bunch of big names for their Super Bowl 2022 airtime, not wasting a single second as they reiterate how hard it is to make up your mind when deciding which Maccas burger you want injected into your veins.
As the Super Bowl ad that has received the most attention, the eccentric commercial taps some noted celebrity Maccas lovers including NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace, FIFA Twitch streamer Edwin Castro, Ryan Reynolds (who voices Grimace), and none other than a man who is most likely uploading something to Instagram as I type – Kanye West.
The most entertaining part, of course, is ‘Ye pulling up to a McDonald’s drive-thru in a black Sherp all-terrain vehicle and reiterating the ad’s main schtick. That’s not surprising really, seeing as Kanye West has professed his love for Maccas in the past via a poem written for Frank Ocean’s one-off magazine. I’ve included it below in case you haven’t read the off-kilter ode.
“McDonald’s man / McDonald’s man / The French fries had a plan / The French fries had a plan / The salad bar and the ketchup made a band / Cus the French Fries had a plan / The French fries had a plan / McDonald’s man / McDonald’s / I know them French fries have a plan / I know them French fries have a plan / The cheeseburger and the shakes formed a band / To overthrow the French fries plan / I always knew them French fries was evil man / Smelling all good and s— / I don’t trust no food that smells that good man / I don’t trust it / I just can’t / McDonald’s man / McDonald’s man / McDonald’s, man / Them French fries look good tho / I knew the Diet Coke was jealous of the fries / I knew the McNuggets was jealous of the fries / Even the McRib was jealous of the fries / I could see it through his artificial meat eyes / And he only be there some of the time / Everybody was jealous of them French fries / Except for that one special guy / That smooth apple pie.”
Welcome to Superior Bowl Michelob ULTRA
Set to the excellent sounds of “Showdown” by Electric Light Orchestra, this slick production from Michelob ULTRA is one of the more entertaining Super Bowl 2022 ads. Peyton Manning, Jimmy Butler, Serena Williams, Nneka Ogwumike, Steve Buscemi, Brooks Koepka, and Alex Morgan star in the cinematic commercial. It’s obviously a homage to the classic 1998 film The Big Lebowski – one of the better nostalgia plays from a brand this year.
Mind Reader by Amazon Alexa
Amazon’s big game commercial this year was titled ‘Mind Reader,’ tapping leads Scarlett Johannson and Colin Jost to help Jeff Bezos’ mega-brand quell any fears that Amazon Alexa could read minds. Given conspiracy theories about every possible thing to do with the “powers that be” are rife right now, and will likely be moving forward, it’s an interesting choice from Amazon. Luckily, it’s genuinely entertaining, with Johannson playing a voice similar to the AI in Her.
Goodbye Cable
Verizon has gone way back and resurrected Jim Carrey’s The Cable Guy to help the company promote its 5G Home and 5G Business packages. As above, surprising pops of nostalgia are reasons why Super Bowl commercials are always so entertaining, and Verizon has hit the nail on the head with this one.
Golden Memories Lay’s
Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd team up for what is basically a mini buddy comedy film for Lay’s Potato Chips. Recalling the classic misadventure comedies of the 00s, like Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle and Dude, Where’s My Car, the dependable comedy actors rip through a Shania Twain karaoke, start a gang war, and get kidnapped by a celebrity stalker.
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Thrill Driver Nissan
Eugene Levy (AKA the dad from American Pie) is suited and booted in the latest Super Bowl commercial from Nissan. Uncharacteristically suave, the bushy-eyebrowed actor stars alongside Brie Larson, The Walking Dead’s Danai Guirira, and Dave Bautista for a slightly eccentric play on the Fast and Furious. Not bad at all.
Caesars Sportsbook
Anything starring JB Smoove is instantly more watchable than the contrary. This latest ad from Super Bowl LVI is irrefutable proof, pairing the Curb Your Enthusiasm star with Halle Berry, Peyton Manning, Archie Manning, Eli Manning, and Cooper Manning to promote Ceasers Sportsbook.
Sally’s Seashells Squarespace
Squarespace has created the ultimate tongue twister for their Super Bowl ad slot, picking up Zendaya in a vibrant 36-second clip centred around a play on the classic “she sells seashells by the seashore” to promote the website building company. The tongue twister itself is a head-spinner, which is probably why they got godly emcee Andre 3000 to narrate the whole thing and bring the ad to life.
Mayo Tackles Food Waste Hellmann’s
Pete Davidson takes the piss out of himself, as per usual, to help Hellmann’s come through with one of the funnier Super Bowl commercials of 2022. Former New England Patriots linebacker Pats assistant coach Jared Mayo plays off a Terry Tate impersonation to help the brand promote anti-food wastage and give the ad a nice little dose of carnage while he’s at it.
Best Super Bowl Ads – Frequently Asked Questions
Why are Super Bowl ads so expensive?
Super Bowl ads are so expensive because the live telecast generates more exposure for brands than any other live event of the year. The impact has been demonstratable, which is why some of the world’s biggest brands don’t mind forking out AU$9.1 million for a 30-second slot.
Who won Super Bowl LVI?
If you were turning in for more than just the Dr Dre & Eminem-led halftime show and the entertaining Super Bowl ads, you might like to know that the actual NFL match was entertaining in itself. The Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, 23-20.
